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The room was full of music.

Emily Muszynski sat in the dark room against her bed on the warm summer night, various little lamps scattered around the room giving off just enough light for her to see the page resting on her lap. Around her, music covered the floor, papers of songs she’d discarded littering the carpet.

Her voice rang out in the silence, the strumming of her guitar rising and falling with the song she wove between the whispers of the night.

Beautiful.

Not good enough.

Unique.

Same as always.

She fought against herself, against the voice in her head that told her it wasn’t good enough, wasn’t good enough.

But maybe it was.

She sighed into the stillness.

Of all the songs she constantly wrote, only a few were worthy of being spoken aloud. And although she wanted people to hear them, to feel something, to see her hard work, there was always the doubt that no one would appreciate it. That no one would listen to it.

These songs, though. They were like nothing she’d written before, solely for the fact she wanted everyone to hear them. She didn’t want to keep them confined her room in the dead of night.

“I was playing and playing [the songs], and I was like, ‘this is it,’” Muszynski later said. “‘This is better than anything I’ve written before.’”

She’d realized, in that moment in the darkness of the night, that she wanted to release her music. It was a dream she needed to make a reality.

“I want [music] to make people feel something,” she said.

And even though Muszynski is only 15, she’s no stranger to music. She’s been singing and participating in musical theater for as long as she can remember, and she knows how to play the piano, guitar, ukulele, and violin.

She also started her own band 3 years ago, which helped her to develop her skills while playing alongside other talented musicians, all while taking private lessons and writing her own songs.

It hasn’t always been easy for her, though. She struggled often with finishing songs, having a sudden spur of inspiration but then not being able to finish a verse or chorus.

“I try again and again and again and like half of [the songs] end up unfinished,” she said.

Muszynski is constantly listening to music, whether she’s on the go or doing homework or reading. She loves to find new music that’s different from what she’s heard before, and finds it motivating to listen to other people’s hard work.

“I love the all of the arts,” she said. “It’s self-expression, which is really important.”

She’s always had a love for the creativity behind writing music, and knows that her talent can reach people to bring them hope, joy, confidence, and even more.

Muszynski wants for people to hear what they need to in that moment through her songs. Whether they feel happiness, determination, or emotional because of her music, it’s up to their personal interpretation. Her hope is solely for people to be affected by her music.

“My reason [for doing music] is because I’m passionate about it,” Muszynski said. “I think if God gave me [a gift] I need to put it out there to reach people.”

Her motivation for writing has morphed into a purpose beyond herself. She plans to release either a single or an Extended Playlist, or EP, on Spotify and Apple Music before the end of the school year in May. Muszynski wants her music to become more widespread, so more than just the people she knows will be able to access it.

“I know it’s something she really wants to do,” said Amanda Skivington, close friend of Muszynski. “She writes about things that are real, and it will definitely impact whoever hears it.”

Muszynski is ready for the next chapter of her music to unfold, and is excited to see the release of her music. Even through the ups and downs of writing and playing, she knows her purpose and is confident people will relate to her through her music.

“[Music is] a universal sharing and understanding of feelings,” she said. “I want to be able to inspire and connect with other people.”